Science Diplomacy Review
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SCIENCE DIPLOMACY REVIEW Vol. 3 | No. 1 | April 2021 EDITORIAL ARTICLES From Securing the State to Safeguarding the Atom: The Relevance of History to Nuclear Diplomacy Maria Rentetzi The Speedy Transmission of Corona Infections – Rebooting Science Diplomacy Trithesh Nandan A New Generation of Trainings on Science Diplomacy for Global Challenges: Insights from two European Projects Nadia Meyer, Rasmus Gjedssø Bertelsen, Natalia Czajkowska, Elke Dall, Ana Elorza, Maria Josten, Pascal Griset, Izaskun Lacunza, Lorenzo Melchor, Andreas P. Müller, Daniella Palmberg, Claire Mays PERSPECTIVES Circulation of Science Diplomacy: Exploring the Motion of Ideas Zane Šime 5th Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP) 2021 and United Nations Multilateral Standard-Setting Bodies: A Perspective Basir Ahmed Standing on the Shoulders of Our Giants: Science Diplomacy for the Future Scientific Progress Archana Sharma Science Diplomacy Beyond Politics M. Anandakrishnan (Continued on outside back cover) Science Diplomacy Review Editors Sachin Chaturvedi Director General, RIS Bhaskar Balakrishnan Science Diplomacy Fellow, RIS Krishna Ravi Srinivas Consultant, RIS Associate Editor Kapil Patil Research Associate, RIS The editorial correspondence should be addressed to the Editor, Science Diplomacy Review, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), Core IV-B, Fourth Floor, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110 003, India. Phone: +91-11-24682177-80, Fax: +91-11-24682173-74. Email: [email protected] and [email protected]. © RIS, 2021. RNI Registration No. DELENG/2021/79753. The views expressed in science diplomacy review are those of authors and not necessarily those of the RIS or the organizations they belong to. SCIENCE DIPLOMACY REVIEW Vol. 3 | No. 1 | April 2021 SCIENCE DIPLOMACY REVIEW Vol. 3 | No. 1 | April 2021 EDITORIAL 1 ARTICLES From Securing the State to Safeguarding the Atom: The Relevance of History to Nuclear Diplomacy 3 Maria Rentetzi The Speedy Transmission of Corona Infections – Rebooting Science Diplomacy 13 Trithesh Nandan A New Generation of Trainings on Science Diplomacy for Global Challenges: Insights from two European Projects 25 Nadia Meyer, Rasmus Gjedssø Bertelsen, Natalia Czajkowska, Elke Dall, Ana Elorza, Maria Josten, Pascal Griset, Izaskun Lacunza, Lorenzo Melchor, Andreas P. Müller, Daniella Palmberg, Claire Mays PERSPECTIVES Circulation of Science Diplomacy: Exploring the Motion of Ideas 35 Zane Šime 5th Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP) 2021 and United Nations Multilateral Standard-Setting Bodies: A Perspective 43 Basir Ahmed Standing on the Shoulders of our Giants: Science Diplomacy for the Future Scientific Progress 49 Archana Sharma Science Diplomacy Beyond Politics 57 M. Anandakrishnan REPORT REVIEW Technology & Innovation Report 2021: Catching the Technological Wave - Innovation with Equity 61 Kapil Patil EVENT REVIEW Using Future Scenarios of Science Diplomacy 67 for Addressing Global Challenges Elke Dall and Mitchell Young NOTE ON INSTITUTIONS The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) 73 Sneha Sinha Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES): Open to International Cooperation 79 Debanjana Dey WEBINAR REPORT Promoting India-Taiwan Cooperation in Science, Technology & Innovation (STI): Way Forward 83 SYNTHESES Science Diplomacy Events Global Young Academy (GYA) Workshop on Science 89 Diplomacy in South Asia India International Science Festival (IISF-2020) 90 S4D4C Final Networking Meeting 91 EDITORIAL his issue comes at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic, contrary to expectations, is surging again with rising number of new cases across the world. India has been Tparticularly hard hit with a sharp rise in daily new cases reaching record levels, overwhelming the health care system. The crisis has been marked by a shortage of beds, oxygen, and medicines, prompting many countries to send supplies. The plans for an ambitious rollout of vaccines for adults above 18 have run into bottlenecks due to a lack of vaccine supply and distribution. These are formidable challenges to be overcome. This situation has developed despite major global efforts at containing and reducing the spread. Scientific challenges arise due to the mutations in the virus and their impact on the immunity of humans. Restrictions on social interactions, exhortations for responsible behaviour, vaccinations, etc., have not yet succeeded, and may need to be reassessed and stepped up. Access to vaccines remains problematic compounded by a tendency for the economically strong to capture the doses. However, economic recovery is looking more promising and offers the hope that jobs and incomes will pick up. The issue of pandemic control and the future of WHO and international health collaboration remains intensely debated, including a possible new approach based on an international treaty on pandemic control. There is a perception that in the early stage of the pandemic, there were many gaps in information sharing and that stronger measures will be needed in future. A consensus on the need for a ‘One Health’ approach and on ensuring equitable access to health may hopefully emerge into something concrete in future. All this shows the importance of health diplomacy, especially for optimal use of capabilities of all countries through more effective sharing of scientific research and health capability such as vaccines. The pandemic may have indeed taught humanity some valuable lessons. Science, Technology and Innovation cooperation across countries is facing several challenges, including the tensions between the US and China over technology issues, the militarisation of outer space and cyberspace, disruptive technologies such as AI, the vast efforts required to combat climate change and to achieve the sustainable development goals by 2030. These are only a few of the challenges on the horizon. Tackling these will require science diplomacy efforts on a much greater scale. The focus cannot be simply on narrowly defined catchy slogans and goals such as “net zero emissions by 2050” but must go to the fundamental causes and roots of the challenges, with concrete milestones and measurement of progress. During the year-long COVID-19 pandemic, people, institutions and governments have resorted to online working, including the widespread use of webinars, and work from home systems. This has proved to be cost and resource-effective, productive, and generated better participation. UN conferences, including large meetings, have taken SCIENCE DIPLOMACY REVIEW | Vol. 3, No. 1 | April 2021│1 place with good arrangements for discussions and voting on decisions and resolutions. A new phase of digital diplomacy is emerging which permits interactions between high- level leaders to take place much more easily. Web-based platforms have improved and become familiar to people. Much of this may remain with us even after the pandemic ebbs. Science diplomacy in its online avatar has come into being. However, quality and speed of internet connectivity remain a problem in many countries. In this issue, we present articles covering a wide variety of topics related to science diplomacy. Maria Rentetzi covers the history of nuclear diplomacy and efforts to promote the use of atomic energy while reducing the potential of nuclear weapons. This is a timely article given the forthcoming NPT Review conference in 2021 and the entry into force of the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). The article by Trithesh Nandan analyses the transmission of COVID-19 infections and enumerates ten commandments for the post-COVID world. The third article by Meyer et. al. surveys the European experience in training in science diplomacy and discusses possibilities for further widening and deepening the New Generation of Trainings on Science Diplomacy for Global Challenges. In the perspective section, Zane Sime’s explores the circulation of scientific ideas. The potential of India’s new Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2020 is analysed by Basir Ahmed, with a focus on a more effective role in shaping multilateral norms and standards. Archana Sharma’s perspective explores India’s scientific heritage and the future of mega-science diplomacy. We are also re-publishing the article, “Science Diplomacy and Politics” by Late Prof. M. Anandakrishnan, formerly Professor of Engineering at IIT Kanpur and India’s first Science Counsellor at Indian Embassy in Washington DC. The issue includes a report review that covers the UNCTAD report on technology and innovation. This issue presents Elke Dall and Mitchell Young’s event report titled Using Future Scenarios of Science Diplomacy for Addressing Global Challenges. In the institutions’ section, the issue reviews the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) and the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES). The webinar report on India Taiwan S&T cooperation held recently is also included. Under the events section, reviews of several recent events are presented, including the Global Young Academy (GYA) workshop, the India International Science Fair (IISF) 2020 and Using Science Diplomacy for tackling Global Challenges (S4D4C)’s Final Networking Meeting. We thank our readers, authors, and stakeholders for their interest and support which is critical for further developing your journal Science Diplomacy Review into a global platform for the exchange of search, ideas, and experiences in the fast-growing world of science diplomacy. 2 │ SCIENCE DIPLOMACY REVIEW|